Upstate NY County Moves to Reduce Bar Hours

A county in the Adirondacks has taken the first step toward requiring bars to stop serving alcohol at 3 a.m. instead of 4 a.m.

Local media outlets report that the Public Safety Committee of the Essex County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved a measure calling for the earlier closing time. A final vote on the proposal is expected at a board meeting on May 6.

If approved, the State Liquor Authority would make the final decision after a public hearing.

The 3 a.m. proposal is a compromise from an earlier recommendation seeking a 2 a.m. closing time, a move opposed by some tavern owners in the village of Lake Placid.

Supporters of the earlier closing time say the move would reduce alcohol-based problems and their related costs.